Cap construction for key buttons



March 17, 1925.

, 1,530,147 J. L. SWEENEY CAP CONSTRUCTION FOR KEY BUTTONS Filed March 18, 1924 Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

JOSEPH LEE swnnnnr or new YORK, is. Y.,

CAP CONSTRUCTION FOR KEY BUTTONS. I

Application filed March 18, 1924. Serial No. 700,104.

ments in Cap Constructions for Key Buttons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in cap constructions for key-buttons, such as employed on typewriting and kindred machines.

One object of my present invention is to provide a key cap structure which shall insure firmness of touch, avoiding flabbiness or a touch of a spongy nature, and at the same time to permit cushioning which. shall give softness of touch without sacrificing firmness.

A further object is to provide a key cap structure which may be used interchangeably on any of the keys of a bank of keys; which will permit utilization of the characters on the keys, thus avoiding necessity for the provision of character-carrying members in or upon the caps, and to construct the cap device in such manner that the same shall be substantial and so that when in use, a pneumatic cushioning cii'ect shall be obtained.

this is provided with a key-button 2 which may include in its construction a disk or member 3 having indicated thereon a letter or character and a transparent plate 4 covering said disk or member 3 and held in place by the inwardly-turned flange 5 of the key-button. I

The key-button above described is that commonly employed with typewriting' machines and receives my improved cap device 6 111 such manner as not to add materially to the height of the key-button.

The cap 6 comprises in a single piece a transparent member 7 which may be conveniently made of celluloid or similar mate'- rial and which is so formed as to fit over the key-buttom-the said cap also including a metallic lining member 8 which lies against the inner face of the cylindrical wall of the transparent cap member and is provided at its upper edge with an annular, inwardly projecting flange 9 disposed near the peripheral portion of the end part of the transparent cap but not so obstructing such end or top portion of the transparent cap as to obscure sight through the same of the letter or character on the key-button.

My improved cap structure also includes a gasket 10 of soft material, such as soft rubber for example, and this gasket is seated on the inwardly projecting flange of the metallic lining member, so that when the cap structure is in place on a key-button, the gasket will engage the peripheral portion of the latter and space the top member of the transparent portion of the cap from the top of the key-button sufficiently to provide a pneumatic cushion. The top member of the transparent portion of the cap structure will be depressed somewhat so that it will conform to the contour, approximately, of the finger of the operator of the typewriter. The wall of the lining member is made with an inward projection 8 which serves to retain the cap on the key-button and also to prevent the gasket from escape during shipment or handling of the cap.

My improvements provide a cushion cap for key-buttons, avoiding fiabbiness or sponginess of touch and obtaining at thesame time firmness of touch. It is apparent that the cap structures may be used interchangeably on any of the keys of the bank of keys and the top portion of the transparent member of the structure will permit the letter or character on the key-button to be plainly seen, at the same time protecting the letter or character part of the key-button.

Having fully described my invenion what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

A cap for typewriter key-buttons and the like having a clear transparent top member and a rim depending from the top member to encircle a key-button, a metallic lining for the rim fitting snugly within the same and adapted to snugly embrace the key button, said lining having an inwardly extending flange at its upper end supporting the edge portion of the top member of the cap but leaving the View ther'ethrough unob structecl, and a soft rubber gasket carried by the undersicleof the flange on the lining and adapted to bear upon the key-button, cushioning the cap and sealing the joint with the key-button whereby to form an air cushion between the key-button and the top member of the cap.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this 15 specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 

